Travel, Food, and Living Italian

Swimming Lessons

We have had 5 days in a row over 86 degrees (and up to 91), so the pool is OPEN. We heat the pool once a season, and get it to a toasty 87, knowing that it will loose a few degrees each night, but still stay "swimable" for we cold whimps. It was time on Saturday to get Luigi used to the water.

He learned to get in and out himself with all four legs on the wide tops step, but not submerged. He came in attached to me, and I launched him toward Brad. He naturally swam. We kept "catching him" and sending him back to the other, like you would do with a small child. Then he learned to swim to the steps to get out of the water.

The next trick was getting him to come back in without coaxing, or pulling him in!

We tried toys, his ball, begging, but none of those worked. He was having too much fun jumping onto the first step, then running laps around the pool, and jumping back in. A new joyous way for fun and frolic!

We ARE still smarter, so with Brad and I in the center of the pool and Luigi on the step, I yelled, "GROUP HUG". He cannot stand to be left out of a hug, so he immediately threw himself off the step and swam to join us.

We repeated the whole routine on Sunday. So far he has NOT tried to get in the pool without us! YEAH!